Live animal exports look set to get back on the table under proposed new, world-leading, animal welfare regulations.
Subject to the government delivering on the coalition agreement and the implementation of new industry-agreed gold standard regulations, the industry is confident the ban will be repealed, says lobby group Live Export New Zealand (LENZ).
National, ACT and NZ First all committed during election campaigning to reversing the ban on live exports and putting enhanced animal welfare standards in place.
“We are confident government has good mandate from the election, and with new highest world-standard regulation, to reinstate live export as soon as next year,” the newly appointed chair of LENZ, Glen Neal, told Farmers Weekly.
“We are working with [the Ministry for Primary Industries] to ensure the rules governing the export of live animals overseas reflect the high expectation New Zealanders have around animal welfare.
“The key job ahead is for industry and MPI to draft regulations that clearly ensure we are world-best-practice with the highest possible standards aligning with world animal health standards.
Neal acknowledged there has been concern in the past around animal welfare standards.
He said LENZ exporters work hard to ensure the world’s best practices when they select, prepare and transport animals internationally and in doing so work with the MPI to support continuous improvement to assure the welfare of all exported animals.
“Government laid out a clear signal around that [public concern] and new regulations address that concern with the job ahead of us clearly focused on world-best standards.
“The job ahead for LENZ is to pull the sector together to make sure regulation is grounded in the realities of farming and trade and in line with world standards for the confidence of the wider community.
“NZ farmers already have high standards for animal welfare on farm, and we expect the same with exported animals.”
New gold standard world-aligned regulations are not just about protecting NZ’s international reputation, but also about maintaining a reputation in local communities.
LENZ has been undertaking consumer research “with full results to be revealed shortly”.
“At this stage there’s clear indication that the majority of the public favour the restoration of [live export] trade with suitable rules and regulations in place.”
Neal said live exports are a significant earner not just for farmers and the primary industry sector but for all of NZ.
Live exports have earned NZ up to $400 million a year.
“That’s up to $400m we are leaving on the table not having this trade in place and that’s across the entire primary industries sector from farmers to transporters, stock agents, graziers, vets, the lot.”
In addition to fetching premium prices, if export cattle are sold as yearlings, Neal said, it generates income earlier giving younger farmers an earlier than normal return on investment, meaning they can reduce interest and pay off debt.
In the 10 years to 2021, about 5000 farmers across all regions of NZ had supplied breeding cattle for export.
“We are not going to turn the light on overnight but we are going to keep working hard as all this helps NZ as a whole to earn its way in the world.
“It’s about helping countries to feed themselves; have less people in poverty and that means more demand for protein and that will be a problem on the planet in 25 years’ time.
“The forward-looking countries are looking at addressing this now. NZ needs to be focused there.”
